2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Review

Living in LA, there’s no shortage of SL500s – or 55 AMGs for
that matter – driving here and there on the busy streets and highways
of this bustling city. Positively common, I tell you! But, after spending a
week behind the wheel, I can see why so many in this car-crazy town, would
choose this roadster as their daily driver, commonness be damned!
It’s simply a joy to drive.

With a 420-mile road trip to Laguna Seca Raceway planned, and the
surprisingly-fickle Spring weather cooperating, it’s retractable
hard-top down(in around 30 seconds), hat on and let’s get on the
road. The SL500 cuts a truly elegant swath through traffic. Low, sleek,
with just the right amount of fender flares and, with the AMG Sport
Package, front air dam, side skirts, a rear apron and 18” AMG wheels,
the car looks primed to pounce on whatever unfortunate, and lesser-powered
obstacle might come between it and the open road.

The drive is a mix of major freeways, two-lane highways, and single lane
roads and really allows me to experience the car at its best. It’s
all too easy to potter around town – as I’m sure many of its
owners do - and not realize the full potential of this car. On paper, a 302
horsepower 5.0 liter V8 with 339 ft-lbs of torque just doesn’t seem
that, well, impressive. But out on the road…now that is a lot of fun!
Climbing to 4,000 feet on the Grapevine, avoiding slower traffic, is a
breeze. The car’s 7-speed electronic touch shift automatic always
seems perfectly primed to pass the next slow-poke.

But it’s when I reach the single lane Route 46 that it’s
really time to enjoy this car. RVs, tractor-trailers, trucks, buses –
you name it, they’re crawling along this road. Downshifting and
punching the accelerator to pass 1, 2, 4, 6 vehicles at once (on a long,
open stretch of road with good visibility, I hasten to add) is simply
fantastic. The SL500 makes a wonderful roar as it breezes past these slower
road goers.

The pavement is mostly smooth but undulates, climbs, drops and turns,
and the car’s independent 4-link front and 5-arm multi-link rear
suspension is beautifully stiff and responsive. Coming over the peak of a
hill, I realize a very large truck is overtaking, uphill, in my lane.
He’s nearly clear but the gap is closing. Fast. Hitting the brakes
reduces my worry to nil and a nasty incident is easily avoided. The
12.3” ventilated and perforated front discs – with 4-piston
calipers – plus the 11.3” rear brake, with 1-piston floating
caliper – bite hard.

Adding to a general feeling of safety and security when driving the car
are its multitude of electronic aids. Active body control, active
suspension system, Electrohydraulic Braking System (SBC), ABS, Brake
Assist, ESP and Automatic Slip Control. If you do still manage to get it
wrong, and if you haven’t already raised it by a button on the
console, the Roll Bar will flip up in 0.3 seconds if it detects the car may
roll. Should this happen, there are no less than 5 airbags in the car, and
the cabin is reinforced with high-strength steel.

Cruising at speed on the freeway, with the roll bar and its attached
screen, plus all windows, raised, wind buffeting in the cabin is, well,
basically non-existent. My one complaint would be that rearward visibility
is severely curtailed by the screen, especially at night. The cabin is
beautifully-appointed. Ash-colored leather, Burl Walnut wood trim, brushed
aluminum, all combine to make a classy combination. 12-way adjustable
heated (and optionally-available ventilated) seats with built-in massager
mean no numb points, and reduced stiffness, on a long-drive. With a
tilt/telescoping wheel, too, it’s easy to find your perfect driving
position and, with three memory settings, remember it. The 4-spoke wheel
also holds multiple functions for the cars many menus, cruise, audio and so
on and, as part of that Sport package, allows shifts from the steering
wheel. An 8-speaker Bose audio surround sound system is powerful and crisp.
Furthermore, the navigation system is easy to use and, best of all, allows
you to fiddle with it while on-the-move, suggesting alternate routes (which
I take).

All-too-quickly (no, I’ll never tell!) I am at my destination.
But, there¹s also the knowledge that I have an exhilarating return drive to
look forward to.

2007 marks the debut of a more-powerful model, the SL550. With it¹s 5.5
liter V8 making an extra 80 horses (382, at a slightly-higher 6,000RPM, up
from 5,600) and an extra 52 ft-lbs of torque (391), I can¹t wait to get
behind the wheel ­ again - of this refined roadster.

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